Suction cleaner floor tool



F. RIEBEL, JR 2,003,312

June 4-, 1935.

SUCTION CLEANER FLOOR TOOL Filed April 5, 1954 rwentor Patented June 4, 1935 TENT O I u SUCTION QLEANERFLOOR TOOL Frederick Iti ebel, Jr., Toledo, .Ohio, assignor to Air-Way Electric Appliance Corporation, To-

ledo, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application April 3,1934, Serial No. 718,828

11 Claims.

lhlsfinvention relates to suction cleaners oi the time wherein the nozzle or floor tool is resiliently mounted on rollers disposed at its ends, and has for its object to provide means whereby it the-floor tool may be adjusted for height to any of a series 01' normal riding positions determined by the balance between the weight of the floor tool and the tension of the resilient portions of the mountings when flexed under said weight, below any one of which positions the floor tool may be depressed under manual pressure.

l is a longitudinal sectional view through one end of a floor tool embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a view, similar to Fig. l,'of a modification .0! the invention.

Fig. 4 is a' rear elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same.

6 Ba view of the adjusting means of Fig. U- 3, parts being shown in section.

Fig. is a view similar to Fig. 1 of anothe modification of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a perspective viewof a portion of a vacuum cleaner embodying the invention.

The floor-tool issupported by a pair of rollers 31 one at each end of the tool. 'Ihe'rollers'3l are attached to mountings which in turn are attachcd to the floor tool. Eachmountingincludes a resilient portion which serves to carry the weight of the cleaner to the roller, and which allows the tool to be depressed below a normal ridin; position determined by the balance between the weight of the cleaner 33 and the tension on the resilient portion of the mounting.

The presentinvention is distinguished from other devices of this general nature, in that the roller mounting comprises simply a leaf spring, fulcrumed intermediate its ends beneath a portion of the floor tool, the roller being journalled on the outerend of the spring, and adjustment being eflected by an adjusting element exerting adjustable upward pressure against the other end .of said spring, and serving to vary the height ofsaid other end relative to the floor tool.

In Fig. l, the mounting comprises simply a leaf spring bracket 15, having a. depending arm 3'") on which the roller 3| is journalled. The bracket is fulcrumed below a lug 16 secured to the top wall of the bracket, and its free end has an opening receiving the neck 11a of an adjusting screw 11, threaded through the top wall of the socket 36. The neck 11a has a head 11b which carries the weight of the floor tool from the screw II to the spring 15. The neck 11a serves to retain the spring 15 against endwise removal from the floor tool. 7

Rotation of the adjusting screw 11 in one :di-' rection will draw the end of the bracket 15 closer to the top wall of the socket 36, which will elevate the bracket at the region of engagement with the fulcrum 16 and thereby lift the floor tool to a higher elevation, other conditions remaining the same. The height at which the floor tool will ride when only the weight of the cleaner is imposed upon the'bracket I5, may-be termed the normal riding positions There will be sev eral riding positions, one for each position of ad-' .iustment of the screw "11. Below each" of these normal positions the floor tool may be depressed by adding manual pressure to the weight of the floor tool. As the floor tool is thus manually depressed, the spring bracket 15 will be bowed around the fulcrum l6.

The same adjustment may be accomplished .by the cam adjusting element 18 of Fig. 3. The cam 18 is oscillatorily mounted in the sidewalls of the socket 36, projecting therethrough at one end and equipped with a lever IS-which cooperates with a keeper plate 80, a spring pressed ball '81 engaging detents 82 in the plate. In' this form the spring 15 has at its inner end a downbent hook 84 which engages in a notch 83 in the floor tool or against the cam 18, for the purpose oi preventing endwise' removal of the spring.

In Fig. 7, instead of the fulcrum 16, the spring a is bent to form its own fulcrum at 15b. The operation is the same as that of the. device shown in Fig. l. I

In this respect the present invention distin guishes from my prior Patents Nos. 1,899,107, 1,899,108, and 1,899,423, in which the magnitude of possible arcuate movement of the floor tool bracket is reduced as the tension on the spring is increased. In the present invention, the bracket 15 may swing the full height of the mouth of the socket 36, no matter what may be the position of adjustment of the adjusting element TI. This is accomplished by positioning the adjusting means at the inner end of the socket.

The invention also has the advantage that the possible range of depressionof the floor tool below normal riding position is not varied by change of adjustment.

This application is a continuation in part of the application for my above numbered patents, and of my application Serial Number 658,684, filed Feb. 27, 1933.

I claimas my invention:

1. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool having an end socket, a supporting roller, a mounting bracket for said roller comprising a leaf spring on one end of which said roller is journalled, said bracket projecting longitudinally into said socket, and means for attaching its opposite end to the floor tool, for carrying the weight of the floor tool to the roller through said bracket, and for adjusting the height at which said floor tool is supported by the roller, said means being located at the inner end of the socket so that the bracket may swing vertically the full height of the mouth of said socket, in any of its several positions of tadjlustment, under pressure applied to the floor 2. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool, a supporting roller, a mounting for said roller comprising a leaf spring on one end of which the roller is journalled, a fulcrum member carried by the floor tool, engaging an intermediate region of said spring from above, an adjusting element engaged between the other end of said spring and the floor tool, said element exerting upward pressure against and being operative to vary the height of said other end of the spring relative to the fulcrum and means for retaining said spring in position relative to the floor tool.

3. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool, a supporting roller, a mounting for said roller comprising a leaf spring on one end of which the roller is journalled, a fulcrum member carried by the floor tool, engaging an intermediate region of said spring from above, an adjusting screw threaded into the floor tool and engaging the other end of said spring from below to vary the height of said other end relative to the fulcrum and means for retaining said spring in position relative to the floor tool.

4. Ina suction cleaner, a floor tool, a supporting roller, amounting for said roller comprising a, leaf spring on one end of which the roller is journalled, a fulcrum member carried by the floor tool, engaging an intermediate region of said spring from above, an adjusting screw threaded downwardly through the floor tool, its

'; lower end formed with a head received by and engaging beneath the other end of said spring and means for retaining said spring in position relative to the fioor tool. 7 w

5. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool, a supporting roller, a mounting forsaid roller comprising a leaf spring on one end of which the roller is journalled, a fulcrum member carried by the floor tool, engaging an intermediate region of said spring from above, an adjusting cam rotatably mounted in the floor tool and engaging the other end of said spring from below and means for retaining said spring in position relative to the floor tool.

6. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool, a supporting roller, a mounting for said roller comprising a leaf spring on one end of which the roller is journalled, said spring being fulcrumed intermediate its ends beneath a portion of the floor tool, an adjusting element engaged between the other end of said spring and the floor tool, said element exerting upward pressure against and being operative to vary the height of said other end of the spring relative to the fulcrum and means for retaining said spring in position relative to the floor tool.

'7. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool, a supporting roller, a mounting for said roller comprising a leaf spring on one end of which the roller is journalled, said spring being fulcrumed intermediate its ends beneath a portion of the floor tool, an adjusting screw threaded into the floor tool and engaging the other end of said spring from below to vary the height of said other end relative to the fulcrum and means for retaining said spring in position relative to the floor tool.

8. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool, a supporting roller, a mounting for said roller comprising a leaf spring on one end of which the roller is journalled, said spring being fulcrumed intermediate its endsbeneath a portion ofthe floor tool, an adjusting screw threaded downwardly through the floor-tool, its lower end formedwith a head received by and engaging beneath the other end of said spring and means for retaining said spring in position relative to the floor tool. 1*

9. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool, a supportel ing roller, a mounting for said roller-comprising a leaf spring on one end of which the roller is journalled, said spring being fulcrumed inter mediate its ends beneath a portion of the floor tool, an adjusting cam rotatably mounted in the floor tool and engaging the'other end of said spring from below and means for retaining said spring in position relative to the floor tool.

10. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool, a supporting roller, a mounting for said roller comprising a leaf spring on one end of which the roller is journalled, saidspring being fulcrumed intermediate its ends beneath a portion of the floor tool, an adjusting element engaged between the other end of said spring and the floor tool, said element being operative to vary the height of said other end of the spring relative to the ful: crum, the said other end being providedwith a. hook engaging the floor tool to prevent longitudinal retraction of the spring and means for retaining said spring in position relative to the floor tool. 7 v

11. In a suction cleaner, a floor tool, a, sup.- porting roller, a mounting for said roller comprising a leaf'spring on one end of which the roller is journalled, said spring being fulcrumed intermediate its ends beneath a portionof the floor tool, an adjusting element engaged between the other end of said spring and the floor tool, said element being operative-to vary the height of said other end of the spring relativeto the floor tool, the said other end being provided with a hook engaging said adjusting element to prevent longitudinal retraction of the springQand means for retaining said spring in position rela-: tive to the floor tool. FREDERICK RIEBEL, JR; 4 

